PRESTWICH residents have branded a proposed £1.75 million sports development in their back yard an accident waiting to happen and are vowing to fight it every step of the way.

Residents around the Bury Old Road site, earmarked by Manchester Maccabi AFC for a massive sports complex including function rooms and a 90,000 sq ft football pitch, warned if plans go ahead it will only be a matter of time before someone is killed on the dangerous roads nearby.

Tony Burke, who lives next to the proposed site, said his neighbours were "up in arms" about the plans, adding the proposed entrance on Bury Old Road was a potentially fatal traffic hazard.

He explained: "Anyone edging out of our road knows traffic comes speeding round that bend before you know it. The complex is going to be even closer - it's going to be absolutely horrendous. We're fighting this every step of the way."

Residents in nearby Park Road echoed his concerns. Maccabi's plans include a car park with 70 spaces, but the club has 600 members, which locals believe will turn their street into an overspill.

One man said: "I honestly think there's going to be an accident. This road is a cut-through for people taking kids to school. Sooner or later someone is going to get hurt."

The traffic hazard is just one concern troubling locals. Bernard Bergin, from Park Road, said the site would mean noise nuisance and floodlights glaring into peoples' gardens.

He added: "We don't mind people playing football there, but this is more like Manchester United. I don't want that in my back garden."

But Cllr Paul Nesbit, himself a patron of Maccabi AFC, refuted the claims.

He added: "The benefits of this, especially for young people, outweigh the complaints. Young people can't win. If they don't get developments like this they're accused of being nuisances. It's a total case of heads we lose, tails we don't win."

The chairman of Maccabi AFC, Darryl Lee, said following an approach by residents the club was planning a meeting to discuss their concerns. The proposals will go before the council's planning committee on October 7.